As First Minister Nicola Sturgeon handed Rangers, Celtic and everyone associated with Scottish football another warning, it laid bare the selfishness of our Old Firm rivals.
Whilst the rest of Scottish football sits at home, Celtic have jetted off to Dubai in an effort to come to terms with their incredible collapse under the pressure of a rampant Rangers this season.
However, Sturgeon has warned that “all bets are off” should the national game be embroiled in another scandal with Celtic being responsible for two of the three which have attracted government attention.
“The exemptions for professional football, and elite sports people generally, are not just for their benefit – we are trying to give people that bit of entertainment and normality,” said Sturgeon [Daily Record].
“But, if any sport does not stick to the restrictions, and doesn’t make sure all the mitigations are in place, then all bets are off.”
The Ibrox side sit 19 points clear of Celtic with the Parkhead club having three games in hand which could cut the lead to 10 points.
Despite this – and it being clear that there is a fixture pile-up – Celtic have been allowed to swan off to the Middle East, swig beer and leave Hibs furious their weekend match was moved to Monday night.
The SPFL – in all their wisdom – moved the match without the powers that be at Hibs being suitably notifed, around about the same time they tried to dock St. Mirren and Kilmarnock for apparent Covid-19 breaches and missed matches.
If Celtic can swan off mid-pandemic for some “R&R” when they have games to play then you can offer two other Scottish Premiership sides the chance to actually play their games.
All of this – the trip, the furore, Nicola Sturgeon – it highlights Celtic’s self-centred actions as they put the national game in jeopardy and haul it negatively into the limelight.
Rangers – and just about every other club in Scotland – have given the Covid-19 situation the utmost respect whilst Celtic continue to push the boundaries of the state of play.
Nicola Sturgeon might’ve been cryptic with her comments but the insinuation is clear – get the house in order or they’ll pull the plug on the season.
Even a state-ordered shutdown won’t save 10IAR but Celtic need to get their act together for the good of the clubs, the game, and every fan who is relying on football to help them through the pandemic.
Here’s how Rangers supporters reacted to the news that the SFA will not be investigating Celtic for Covid-19 breaches during their trip to Dubai.
